Serbia wants baby boom, but couples seem not in the mood

Women say they need better support to grow country’s population

Belgrade, Dec. 10: “Give birth, don't delay!”, says a rousing call by the Serbian state to young couples. “Let babies’ cries be heard!” is another of the baby- making slogans Serbia is busy producing -- while it struggles to increase actual births.

Women say they need better support not words of encouragement to grow the country's population.

Massive emigration coupled with the plummeting birth rate, which at 1.5 children per family is among the lowest in Europe, has brought Serbia's population down to under seven million. According to the United Nations, Serbia's population is expected to shrink a further 15% 2050.

Desperate to reverse the trend, Serbian officials have made some headscratching proposals, including a plan announced in June to construct “lower- storey homes” in areas with the lowest birth rates.

President Aleksandar Vucic said it was based on a study that showed couples have nearly double the number of children in two- to- four storey homes than in towering apartment blocks.

The comments befuddled the local press, with one newspaper going on an unsuccessful hunt to find any academic expert who had heard of such a study, discovering only “laughs”.

The minister in charge of demographics, Slavica Djukic Dejanovic, nevertheless defended the idea that environment can play a role. “It is a fact that on the edge of big cities where settlements include yards where kids play and parents have a coffee... that kids' joy and cries could be heard more often,” she said. In February, her ministry announced a campaign to tackle the declining numbers and awarded the best pro- birth slogan in a nationwide cash- prize competition. Among the winners were: "Mum, I don't want to be alone. Dad, I want a brother" and "Love and babies are what we need first!"

The ministry will also introduce an award called "The Best Family Friend" for companies that support young parents. – AFP